"With
only a handful of intellectuals, writers, and artists in
the community who might have articulated a coherent vision
of Jewish Cuban identity, it fell to the social circles
and synagogues that took form in the aftermath of exile
in Miami to create that vision. Here exactly is where Carrie's
book makes a hugely important and unique contribution. With
care and dedication, Carrie documents the historical process
by which Jewish Cubans in Miami created the social institutions
they needed in order to be able to maintain the complexity
of their identity and reproduce the tightly knit community
of the island. Rebuffed upon arrival by the Jewish-American
community that just barely lent a helping hand, the Jewish
Cubans marked their presence in Miami with characteristic
Cuban audacity."